Where is the line?

I was about to post something on Facebook, but when you have several hundred eyes glancing over something, you’ve gotta really watch it. As I learned during my radio career, it only takes one.

I’ve often cited the time when we had a whack job KLSY listener who felt that Bruce Springsteen’s song “I’m on Fire” was about an older man molesting a young girl. It wasn’t, but that didn’t stop her from calling the DJ on the air every time it was played and threatening to stop listening if we kept playing it.

I’m pretty wide open when it comes to comedy. Even stuff that crosses the line, if truly funny, cracks me up. Comedians who need F-bombs to be funny are only showing off their inability to make people laugh through humor….they need shock. Happened a few years back when we went with friends to see Bob Saget. Probably one of the unfunniest events I have ever witnessed.

Which brings us to the email I received moments ago from buddy Scott Burns. The subject line was “Picture of Gary Coleman’s Coffin” and my first thought was, “Oh no, where is THIS going?” Yes, in a perfect world, you’re not using someone’s passing for comedy relief, but I guess I’ve been around long enough to know that this way to deal with tragic situations has been around for a long time. Remember the space shuttle disaster? A terrible, heart-breaking event. It wasn’t 12 hours after the incident that I heard the first of many shuttle jokes to come.

Going back to my early days, I remember hearing the joke, “Besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”

Comedy is tricky. But the right audience makes it easy. I’m going to assume that you’re among the open-minded folks out there and so, as teased earlier in this piece, is an actual photo of Gary Coleman’s casket.

Ready?

OK, here you go!